Less than 5% of organisations are ready to withstand major cyber attacks in SA. In addition, SA is slow to roll out ICT access and information security policies.
This is according to Craig Rosewarne, ISG Africa chairman and founder, who points out that the South African private and public sectors need to work together to form a strategic defence plan to withstand foreign cyber attacks.
This trend was also emphasised in the Cyber Power Index, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by IT consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton. The Index shows that SA received a low score in terms of ICT access and information security.
The Index measures both the success of digital adoption and cyber security, and the degree to which the economic and regulatory environment in G20 nations promote national cyber power.
The UK, US and Germany have been hailed as cyber security leaders in the Index, while Mexico, Indonesia, India, China and SA have been rated with the lowest ICT access and security scores.
Cyber power
The Index defines a cyber power as a solid foundation that includes technical skills for security and effective use of the cyber environment, high educational attainment levels, open trade policies and an innovative business environment.
“The Cyber Power Index identifies those countries that understand what it takes to operate in a digital era and those that don't,” explains Mike McConnell, vice-chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton.
“Many define a nation's cyber power simply like other domains, such as land, air or space. While cyber is a domain, a nation's capabilities must be measured by more than its military might alone. The countries able to master the uses and security requirements of emerging technologies and societal shifts brought on by the cyber revolution will emerge as the cyber powers and the winners of the 21st century.”
ICT access
The Index concludes that prioritisation of ICT access is higher in the developed world than emerging regions. The study points out that there is a clear divide between developed countries and emerging markets, as measured by access to the Internet, mobile phones and WiFi.
The Index states that several major economies, such as Argentina, Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia, do not have cyber security plans in place and do not appear to be developing them.
While the US has a broad and deep cyber power base, the Index says other nations such as South Korea and Japan are aggressively adopting greater levels of bandwidth and communications stability.
Vulnerable to attack
Rosewarne says SA's slow adoption of broadband rollout and e-commerce platforms has shielded it from increased online attacks. “Conversely though, I believe we only have pockets of expertise located in a few organisations and are insufficiently experienced and skilled to tackle a major attack.”
He points out that government and industry first need to understand what the implications of an attack are. He adds that government needs to approve policies regarding cyber attacks and cyber crimes and undertake research to determine the true threat facing SA.
In addition, he urges government to allocate the necessary resources and funding to build a stronger defence and analysis capability.
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